Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Refilling the Well

Boy, did I need that break in the mountains last week. It was short, but just what I needed to clear my head. Peaceful and restorative. I don't know about you folks, but I absolutely HAVE to be outside in Nature regularly to stay healthy and sane. It balances and restores and nurtures. . and it just plain feels good. And it's beautiful, too.

I also find those escapes extremely stimulating creatively, too. More ideas for works-in-progress come streaming in. New ideas, new directions. I think writers need to "R&R" regularly. I call it Refilling the Well.

We keep pouring ourselves out all the time----our creativity into our work and projects, our energy into our friendships and family relationships, and more energy into taking care of ourselves. After a while, that well gets pretty darn close to being empty. That's when we need to take a break, even if others might not understand, and refill the well. Otherwise, we have nothing left to pour out. . .or to give.

I enjoyed that mountain getaway so much, that I grabbed another chance last Friday to escape for part of the day and drive up with a friend into Rocky Mountain National Park in the nearby town of Estes Park, CO. It's an easy hour drive from Fort Collins and a beautiful one at that. Once again, I got to drink in that gorgeous HIgh Country scenery. Those spectacular Rocky Mountain views. Just sitting on a rock and staring out at the views is worth the drive. You can feel your blood pressure dropping thirty points. Plus, watching those little brazen chipmunks skitter up and beg, practically in your lap, is fun too.